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What does a roof restoration actually include?

The short answer

Typically a high-pressure clean, replacement of broken tiles, re-bedding and re-pointing of ridge capping, then a sealer and two coats of membrane. What separates a good job from a cosmetic one is the re-bedding, not the paint.

TradieAnswers editorial · written in-house and sourced to the authorities listed below

Checked against 3 published sources, listed in full at the end of this page. How we source this

Roof restoration is a loosely defined term, which is precisely why quotes for it vary so much. Two quotes can differ by a large multiple and both be honest, because they describe different amounts of work. The way to compare them is to make each one state its steps.

A full restoration usually includes

  1. High-pressure cleaning to remove moss, lichen and loose material.
  2. Replacing broken and cracked tiles.
  3. Removing and re-bedding ridge capping in fresh mortar where the bedding has failed.
  4. Re-pointing the capping with a flexible pointing compound.
  5. Applying a primer or sealer to the cleaned tiles.
  6. Two coats of a roof membrane or coating.

The step that matters most

Re-bedding is the structural part. Ridge capping sits on a mortar bed, and when that bed has cracked and failed the capping is loose, which is both a leak path and a safety issue in wind. Re-pointing over failed bedding looks identical on completion and does not fix it. A cheap quote has usually removed the re-bedding, or is pointing over old bedding rather than replacing it.

What restoration will not do

  • It will not fix failed sarking, rotten battens or a structural problem.
  • It will not extend the life of tiles that are already delaminating.
  • It is not a substitute for replacing a rusted-through metal roof.

Sources

Every source below was fetched and its response recorded on the date shown. Where a government site blocks automated clients, that is noted rather than reported as a successful check.

  1. National Construction Code · Australian Building Codes BoardChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK
  2. Standards Australia · Standards AustraliaChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK
  3. NSW Fair Trading · NSW Fair TradingChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK

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